Monotheism and Human Nature

Abstract

The main question of this Element is how the existence, supremacy, and uniqueness of an almighty and immaterial God bear on our own nature. It aims to uncover lessons about what we are by thinking about what God might be. A dominant theme is that Abrahamic monotheism is a surprisingly hospitable framework within which to defend and develop the view that we are wholly material beings. But the resulting materialism cannot be of any standard variety. It demands revisions and twists on the usual views. We can indeed learn about ourselves by learning about God. One thing we learn is that, though we are indeed wholly material beings, we're not nearly as ordinary as we might seem.

The modal argument and Bailey's contingent physicalism: a rejoinder

“…(1) Bailey on the Categories. In developing his set of ontological categories, Bailey locates himself squarely within 'the grand tradition of ontological categorizing' (Bailey (2021), 20) and is 'doing old-fashioned categorial ontologizing' (ibid., 21). Accordingly, he seeks a realist set of categories that specifies 'at the highest level of abstraction how reality divides' (ibid., 5 acknowledging that he lacks 'rigorous definitions of the key ideas herementality, material object, human person, spirit', he offers remarks about them that he takes to be adequate for his purposes.…”

Why Mereological Essentialism Applies to Mereological Aggregates

“…Especially when applied to mereological aggregates (MAs), many philosophers reject ME and, accordingly, do not take its employment to establish conclusions about diachronic personal identity to be successful (Cf. Merricks 1994: 81-85;Bailey 2021).…”